2026 is Miami's year of mega sports tournaments
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Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios
Monday's college football championship wasn't the first mega sporting event this year in Miami — and it won't be the last.
Why it matters: 2026 is going to be a huge year for sports in Miami-Dade County, and organizers predict events like the College Football Playoff title game and the World Cup will boost the local economy.
By the numbers: Hosting the CFP championship was expected to bring upward of $300 million to the regional economy, the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau told the Miami Herald.
- The World Cup could inject upward of $920 million into the Miami metro area between June 2023 and August 2026, per a FIFA-commissioned study. (Caveat: One sports economist told Axios those estimates appear to be "wildly exaggerated.")
The intrigue: If anyone will benefit, it's Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross, whose Hard Rock Stadium hosted the CFP championship and will host seven World Cup matches in June and July.
- Hard Rock will also welcome the Formula E Miami E-Prix this month, along with the Miami Open in March and the Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix in May.
Meanwhile, the NHL Winter Classic was played at loanDepot Park earlier this month.
- The Marlins ballpark will host the World Baseball Classic in March.